News - Activity at MUM
Honouring our Donor Community
MUM Board Member Dr. Oksana Prokopchuk-Gauk provides us with a detailed report on the special celebration....
As a Museum community, we were able to honor the generosity of our donors - past and present - at the unveiling of our donor appreciation wall, and applaud the retirement of our building construction mortgage.
MUM is committed to preserving the cultural and historical contributions of the Ukrainian Catholic community in Saskatchewan, Canada and Ukraine. With its original inception in 1953 by the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada (UCWLC) - Saskatoon Exarchate, MUM has become an essential component of our cultural community.
Following a humble beginning with artifacts displayed in a room at Sheptytsky Institute in Saskatoon from 1955-1965, the Museum moved to an existing building structure (the former St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral ‘Prosvita Hall') on the corner Avenue M and 21st Street. This Eparchial Museum opened in 1966 as the Museum of Ukrainian Culture and served our community for the next 45 years.
The aging Museum building and our growing collection of artifacts made construction of a new modern building essential. A MUM building project was ultimately initiated, with the final design determined to have a capital cost of $3.5 million. Through tireless fundraising efforts of dedicated volunteers and the generosity of our donors, enough money was raised to begin construction; the Museum Board of Directors also secured a $1.5 million mortgage.
An official ground-breaking for the new MUM building occurred on December 10, 2010, at 222 Avenue M South in Saskatoon. On September 20, 2012, His Beatitude, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, blessed the new MUM building. The Museum officially opened to the public September 22, 2012.
As a part of the original Museum design, a wall on the main floor was designated for donor recognition. After years of discussion, a Donor Appreciation Wall Subcommittee was established at the 2019 MUM Annual General Meeting. Subcommittee Members included: Dr. Oksana Prokopchuk-Gauk (Lead Coordinator), Anna Mycyk, Martin Hryniuk and Nissa Baran. We were very excited to show the completed Donor Appreciation Wall to guests in attendance at the MUM celebration!The original design concept was created by our Museum President, Anna Mycyk. Specific elements were incorporated in the design given their meaning in our Ukrainian Catholic heritage:
• Aquamarine wall colour: This ethereal shade is a reminder of heaven and our divine God, as it is frequently found painted on our Ukrainian church ceilings.
• Three live-edge wood panels: Representative of the trinity and Jesus' cross, wood is also the traditional material on which icons are written. The hardwood symbolizes the strength and resiliency of the Ukrainian people; wood also served as an essential resource for building the homes of our earliest settlers. The natural edges are reminiscent of winding trails through the prairie or flowing water within a river.
• Hexagonal tiles: This shape represents strength and sweetness. Many hexagons together ensure a sturdy construction, as seen in honeycombs within hives. Honeybees work together to produce a sweet result, like the people working together within our community. The natural, translucent shades of the mounted tiles are intended to bring depth to the wall feature, playing with light and perspective.
• Brass donor name plates: Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and it is their partnership which produces this beautiful result. The pattern of the nameplates is reminiscent of geometric embroidery motifs from Western Ukraine.
The Donor Appreciation Wall design includes a podium to display a special book recognizing contributors to the Brick and Cornerstone Campaign. This Campaign was launched in 2010, in honor of the Museum's groundbreaking. Donors had the opportunity to purchase a legacy Brick for $100 each or Cornerstone for $1,000 each. Donations to the Brick and Cornerstone Campaign have contributed to completion of the MUM building and our galleries. We are grateful to Mr. Bernie Hrytzak of Chatham, Ontario, a wood-cutting artist and long-time supporter of MUM who hand-crafted the cover, and to Houghton Boston Printers for printing the pages and assembling the book.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the Muzyka family and the Russell Muzyka Estate, who generously offered to sponsor the entire cost associated with the Donor Appreciation Wall project. We appreciate the participation of local businesses and volunteers who contributed to the manufacturing and installation of the donor appreciation wall: Lost River Timber, STICS Construction, ProTouch Design Jacob Semko and Mykola Gauk.
Throughout the years, fundraising campaigns have been instrumental in helping to encourage donors to contribute to MUM. Our most recent Retire the Mortgage Campaign was generously sponsored by Ernest and Jayne Paluck, who announced that they would match all donations up to $500,000 to raise the final $1 million needed pay our remaining mortgage balance. The success of this Campaign has led to the retirement of our MUM mortgage as of April 2024.
Following a brief program led by Dr. Oksana Prokopchuk-Gauk, the Donor Appreciation Wall was officially unveiled by Torri Muzyka, daughter of Russell Muzyka; Ernest Paluck, generous donor and MUM Board Member, and Anna Mycyk, MUM President. Event guests shared a sparkling wine toast in honor of all donors who have contributed to the success of our Museum.
Above left: Ernie Paluck, Holly Paluck, Lena Bihun, Joanne Mazun and Tony Mazun. Above right: Muzyka family.
The formal portion of our celebration occurred on the second floor of the Museum building, where attendees shared a delicious catered banquet. Master of Ceremonies, Diane Boyko, led the evening program. MUM President, Anna Mycyk, welcomed all Museum patrons to this celebration in their honor, on behalf of our Board of Directors. Vice-President, Martin Hryniuk, spoke about the importance of the Retire the Mortgage Campaign in ensuring the success of MUM into the future. We were humbled to hear Ernest Paluck speak on behalf of himself and his late wife Jayne about the importance of MUM as a place for future generations to learn about the Ukrainian community, ensuring the legacy of our ancestors lives on. The evening concluded with an incredible performance by the Lastiwka Ukrainian Choir and Orchestra.
Musée Ukraina Museum Board of Directors. Back row: Diane Boyko, Bernadine Small, Nissa Baran, Dr. Oksana Prokopchuk-Gauk, Amanda Medvid, Dr. William Gulka, Doreen Rathgeber, Elaine Koshman, Elizabeth Zahayko, Eileen Bunko. Front row: Ernie Paluck, Anna Mycyk, Patricia Mialkowsky, Martin Hryniuk.
We extend a special thanks to our gala event sponsors and silent auction donors, whose support contributed to the success of our evening celebration:
• Sponsors:
o Werezak's Pharmacy - Mike & Zenya Werezak & family
o Rayner Agencies - Norbert, Shawn & Sheldon Wasylenko
o Sutherland Beer & Wine Store - Alex Wasylenko
o SIGA
o Nova-Tek - Modest Mycyk
• Silent auction donors:
o Darlene Famulak - homemade jams; crystal vase and flowers
o Bernard Hrytzak - commemorative hand-carved wooden platter and Ukrainian themed vase
o Marion Mutala - summer reading package with books and treats
o Ernest Paluck - Armenian brandy sword
o Holly Paluck - framed print
o +Sonja Pawliw - framed mosaic and mosaic ladies' shoe
o Jacob Semko - framed prints ‘Grain Bins' and ‘Print Cows'
o Gayle Semko - sunflower wall hanging
Thank you, once again, to our many donors for their support! We are all looking forward to an exciting future at Musée Ukraina Museum!
The above article was included in the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada fall issue of Nasha Doroha 3(86)/2024.
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